3 of 9
BACK NEXT
Catch the wave
Catch the wave
The orange cable looks like the extension cord you might keep in your garage, but every 100 feet or so, three small blue geophones, which are used to detect seismic waves, are planted into the ground. The idea is to "shoot seismic," an oil driller's term for a laborious surveying process that maps the earth's subsurface.

NEXT: Lighting a fire
Last updated August 20 2008: 12:24 PM ET
Hunting for oil beneath the ice There's a new rush for petroleum from Alaska to the North Pole. Can ConocoPhillips and other energy giants find another Saudi Arabia under the ice? (more)
Top 50Wal-Mart's on top. Which other companies made the top 50 this year? (more)
Best big companies to work for See the 33 companies that made both the Fortune 1000 and Best Companies to Work For lists this year. (more)
* : Time reflects local markets trading time.† - Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges.• Disclaimer